As the crowded field of Democratic presidential hopefuls grows ever larger, and candidates attempt to distinguish themselves, their decisions inevitably augur the ideologies that will be prominent during the primaries.

As the final provisional ballots from the 2018 midterm elections are counted, and the forecasted Democratic wave in the House becomes more precise (most likely a gain of at least 37 seats), the electoral significance can be parsed.

In June, the Democratic National Committee ended its long-standing policy of accepting money from the fossil fuel industry. But in August, a resolution put forth by party Chairman Tom Perez ’83 P’18 reversed the June decision.

The past two years have been fraught for Democrats. In the aftermath of the calamitous 2016 presidential election, ideological fissures within the party have widened as progressive insurgents have found traction in recent months.